Education
Ph. D University of Massachusetts, Amherst
2011 Thesis:Context based morality: Implications for mental health
Dissertation Committee: Ronnie Janoff-Bulman (Advisor), Aline Sayer, Brian Lickle and Leah Wing
M.Sc.University of Massachusetts, Amherst
2007 Thesis: The impact of automatic and deliberative processing on moral judgments.
Thesis committee: Ronnie Janoff-Bulman (Advisor), Linda Tropp and Aline Sayer
B.A University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka
2001 First Class Honours
Publications
Usoof-Thowfeek, R. (under review). Twisting morality to thwart dissention: A social psychological assessment of post-war Sri Lankan politics. International Center for Ethnic Studies
Usoof-Thowfeek, R. (2012). Putting back the pieces to together: The psychological wellbeing of returned communities in Vavuniya and Mannar. Tudor de Silva and Dhammika Herath (Eds.) Healing the wounds? Rebuilding Sri Lanka after the war. International Center for Ethnic Studies
Usoof-Thowfeek, R. (Eds.). (2012). Knowledge Society or knowledge for society. University of Peradeniya
Usoof-Thowfeek, R., Janoff-Bulman, R. &Tavernini, J.(2011).Moral judgments and the role of social harm: Differences in automatic versus controlled processing.Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 47 (1).
Usoof-Thowfeek, R. (2010). The impact of Buddhist and Hindu beliefs on post traumatic growth in Sri Lanka.Wellbeing and Development.Colombo. University of Colombo / SPARC
Janoff-Bulman, R. &Usoof-Thowfeek, R. (2009). Shifting moralities: Post – 9/11 responses to shattered assumptions. Matthew. J. Morgan (Eds.) The Impact of 9/11 on Psychology and Education; The day that changed everything.Palgrave McMillan Publications.
Conference symposia
Sheikh, S. &Usoof-Thowfeek, R. (2010).Prohibitions and punishments: Implications for moral psychology. Symposium organized for the Society for Social and Personality Psychology Conference. Las Vegas, Nevada
Presentations
Usoof –Thowfeek, R. (July, 2012). Putting back the pieces together: The psychosocial wellbeing of retuned communities in Vavuniya and Mannar. Presentation at Healing the wounds? Rebuilding Sri Lanka after the war Conference, Colombo, Sri Lanka
Usoof-Thowfeek, R. &Janoff-Bulman. R. (January, 2010). Harm and cognitive processing: what matters when punishing a moral transgression. Presentation at the Society for Personality and Social Psychology conference, Las Vegas, Nevada
Usoof-Thowfeek, R. (April, 2009). The Impact of spiritual beliefs on psychological resilience. Presentation at the Conference on Wellbeing and Development in Sri Lanka, Sri Lanka Foundation Institute, Colombo, Sri Lanka.
Usoof-Thowfeek, R &Janoff-Bulman. R. (Spring, 2008) Impact of automatic and deliberative processing in ingroup – ourgroup biases in moral judgments. Presentation at the Social Psychology Colloquium, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA
Usoof, R & Shapiro, I. (Fall, 2006) Give us what we want or else…Perceptions of group status and the endorsement of violent collective action. Presentation at the Social Psychology Colloquium, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA
Conference posters
Usoof-Thowfeek, R. &Janoff-Bulman, R. (2009).Selfish Altruism: The conflict between personal and societal responsibility. Poster presented at the Society for Personality and Social Psychology Annual Conference, Tampa, Florida.
Usoof-Thowfeek, R. &Janoff-Bulman, R. (2008).Let me think about it: Automatic versus deliberative processing in judging immoral behaviors. Poster presented at the Society for Personality and Social Psychology Annual Conference, Albuquerque, New Mexico Usoof, R.& Shapiro, I. (2007).Group status and endorsement of violent collective action. Poster presented at the Psychology and Social Justice Conference (PASJ), New York, NY.
Presentations
At present Senior Lecturer 1, University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka.
2010 Fall semester: Instructor Psych 360: Social Psychology (online), University of Massachusetts, Amherst
2010 Fall semester: Teaching assistant Psych 360: Social Psychology, University of Massachusetts, Amherst
2008 Spring semester: Teaching Associate, Junior Writing in Psychology, University of Massachusetts, Amherst
2005 – 2009 Graduate Research Assistant, University of Massachusetts, Amherst
Professional training
2004 Summer institute for teaching and research in Psychology, University of Peradeniya, sponsored by the Solomon Asch Center for the study of Ethnopolitical Conflict, University of Pennsylvania.
2008 Social justice mediation training, Social Justice Mediation Institute, University of Massacusetts, Amherst.
Professional services
2012 Advisory Board member, Journal of Social and Political Psychology (continuing appointment).
2009 Program evaluator Center for Civic Education, Calabasas, California, Project Citizen – Indonesia
Ad – hoc reviewing
2012 Reviewer, Journal of Social and Political Psychology (continuing appointment).
2008 Ad – hoc reviewer for the American Psychology Society (APS) conference, student posters.
2007 Ad – hoc reviewer for the American Psychology Society (APS) conference, student posters.
University services
2013 Faculty research coordinator, International Research Center, University of Peradeniya
2013 Co-editor, Sri Lanka Journal of Humanities
2013 Member, Editorial Committee, Peradeniya University Research Sessions 2012
2013 Member, Staff Development Committee, Faculty of Arts, University of Peradeniya
2012 Member, Editorial Committee Sri Lanka Journal of Humanities, University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka
2011 Co-editor, International conference titled Knowledge society or knowledge for society, University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka
Spring 2008 Member, Organizing Committee, Landscapes of Violence Conference, UMass, Amherst.
Spring 2007 Member, Organizing Committee for Brown Bag meetings, Peace and Violence Concentration, Psychology department, UMass, Amherst
Summer 2006 Member, Organizing Committee for new student orientation in the Psychology Department, UMass, Amherst.
Fall 2006 – Spring 2007 Member, Social Psychology Colloquium Committee, UMass, Amherst
Summer 2005 Sri Lankan Liaison for University of Pennsylvania students on Tsunami reconstruction project in Sri Lanka.
2003 – 2004 Volunteer student counselor, University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka.
Summer 2004 Organized summer institute for teaching and research in psychology together with the staff of the Solomon Asch Center for Study of Ethnopolitical Conflict at the University of Pennsylvania.
Will be updated soon